2023 Summit — MDI Housing Solutions Initiative

MDI Housing Solutions Summit

The 2023 Mount Desert Island (MDI) Housing Solutions Summit, held on March 24, 2023, brought together key representatives from institutions, businesses, and organizations across MDI in an effort to seek tangible and measurable solutions to the island housing crisis. The MDI Housing Solutions Initiative evolved out of the summit event.

MDI Housing Solutions Summit objectives included:

Create a Framework
that can achieve significant progress in addressing the housing crisis (work to be done, establishment of working groups, key metrics to measure success over time, etc.)

Identify New Solutions
Develop ideas to address unmet housing needs and overcome barriers

Build New Connections
Provide opportunities for institutions and organizations grappling with the same issue to share their stories and experiences

Convene
Make the MDI Housing Solutions Summit an annual event to connect, review progress, and celebrate success

Find a Common Understanding
of MDI housing needs and the barriers preventing those needs from being met

Communicate
Highlight housing solutions currently underway or planned for MDI

MDI Housing Solutions Summit Report

The 2023 MDI Housing Solutions Summit was facilitated by Noel Musson and Susanne Paul of The Musson Group. Steering Committee for this event consisted of Marla O’Byrne (Island Housing Trust), Dave Edson (Friends of Acadia), Misha Mytar (Maine Coast Heritage Trust), Michele Gagnon (Town of Bar Harbor), and Tricia Blythe (The Knowles Company).

The MDI Housing Solutions Summary Report outlines the objectives, key findings, and recommended action items that emerged from the small group and collective discussions that took place at the 2023 Summit.

Click on the cover image to access the full report.

The MDI Housing Solutions Summit was an all volunteer effort made possible by donations of time and / or money from the following organizations:

Anonymous
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust
Carter’s Real Estate
College of the Atlantic
First National Bank
Friends of Acadia
Island Housing Trust
Lynam Real Estate
Machias Savings Bank
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
MDI Biological Laboratory (in kind)
Ocean Properties
Swan Agency Real Estate
The Knowles Company
The Musson Group

MDI Housing Solutions Summit

Create a Framework that can achieve significant progress in addressing the housing crisis (work to be done, establishment of working groups, key metrics to measure success over time, etc.)

Identify New Solutions Develop ideas to address unmet housing needs and overcome barriers

Build New Connections Provide opportunities for institutions and organizations grappling with the same issue to share their stories and experiences

ConveneMake the MDI Housing Solutions Summit an annual event to connect, review progress, and celebrate success

Find a Common Understanding of MDI housing needs and the barriers preventing those needs from being met

CommunicateHighlight housing solutions currently underway or planned for MDI